rs fly into a major airport, get their vehicle and head straight into the city. It's probably a better idea to take the train or a taxi into town first, establish yourself at your hotel, get your bearings and then make your way to the rental agency to pick up your car. If you have ever driven in NYC, Los Angeles or even Boston, then you have an idea of what it can be like, but you still need to stay alert at all times. Each city has its own quirks, such as London (left hand driving, congestion zone charges), Barcelona (one way streets), Paris (traffic, no parking), Rome and Florence (also remember in Venice you have to drop the car outside of town). Believe the hype about the Italian driving style if you haven't been privy to it. Extremely aggressive, with a case-by-case attitude towards obeying traffic signs, stoplights, etc. It isn't bad driving per se (some would call it exciting) but hard to adapt to. Make sure you know where your arrival airport is in relation to the place you are staying. Consult the tourist boards for public transportation.
All in all, taking a rental car through Europe is a unique experience. As tourists from another continent, we must respect all rules and regulations concurrent to the country we are driving in. I urge you to learn all the signs and at least some of the road language. Remember that most of the time they are not in English! Ignorance of the law does not make you exempt from it, so if you get pulled over, politely explain that you were unaware but don't expect special treatment for it (if anything expect a bigger fine) since you are an American. After that you can speed back onto the Autobahn and join the everyday race. Just remember to pass on the left!
Murdoch Morris has spent 3+ years mostly listening to other people's stories about driving in Europe, although he has a couple under his belt as well. Feel free to contact him with any questions you may have specific to your next trip to Europe.
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